Researchers make concerning discovery while observing endangered big cat: 'Increasingly bleak'

Conservationists are sounding the alarm as the Indochinese leopard nears extinction in Southeast Asia. According to reports by Mongabay, numerous threats, including the illegal wildlife trade, snaring, and poaching, threaten the elusive species.

What's happening?

The Indochinese leopard (Panthera pardus delacouri) is native to Southeast Asia; however, the species' numbers are dwindling, with the most recent population estimates ranging from 77 to 766 in the wild. 

A combination of human-driven factors has led to a significant decrease in the Indochinese leopard population. Along with poaching and illegal wildlife trading, the leopards are also threatened by what Mongabay calls a "snaring crisis." Estimates indicate that 12 million traps are spread out across protected forests. 

According to the IUCN Red List, the Indochinese leopard is listed as critically endangered. However, in some parts of Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, the leopard is "now believed to have gone functionally extinct," Mongabay reported.

Research has highlighted just how dramatic the decrease in the Indochinese leopard population has been. For example, a 2024 study noted that leopards were originally found across Southeast Asia and southern China, but the species now covers only "2-6% of its historical range." After reviewing the data, the authors of that 2024 study concluded that the outlook for the Indochinese leopard is "increasingly bleak."

Why is the decrease in Indochinese leopards concerning?

When one species faces a serious population decline, it disrupts the balance of the entire ecosystem. As an apex predator, the Indochinese leopard serves a crucial role in controlling prey populations. Thus, its extinction has significant consequences, which "could also lead to a sequence of additional species extinctions," according to Susana Rostro-García, co-author of the 2024 study.

What's being done about the decreasing population of Indochinese leopards?

Researchers are speaking out. Many conservation efforts in Southeast Asia focus on supporting the tiger population; tigers are also threatened, but declining leopard populations have not been given as much attention. 

Instead of working on conservation efforts on a species-by-species basis, experts encourage a broader approach.

Looking at "ecological communities rather than single species would allow conservationists to address this gap," Robert Steinmetz from WWF Thailand told Mongabay.

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